Full text of "Bill Cheek - World Scanner Report"

See other formats

Fublistier/Editor; K. D. Cheek, Sr. aka "Dr. RiftonDortis” V1N8: September, 1991

THE WORLD SCANNER REPORT

1 Journal of VHP-UBP Scanner Technology & Engineering

BAD & MEDIOCRE NEWS: PRQ-35 & PRQ-37

What do you want first, the bad news or the so-so news?
Let’s go for the bad stuff, first. It’s common knowledge
now that the new Realistic PRO-35 is little more than a
relabeled BC-100XLT. The PRO-35 CPU has some changes in
its hard programming and there are cosmetic differences
but the PRO-35 is still a BC-100XLT in disguise. Nothing
to rant and rave about there and no reason to run out and
buy one, either. In case someone offers you a PRO-35 for
free the main differences between it and a BC-100XLT are:
Any channel can be Priority; one “Monitor" channel is for
temporary storage of a freq found in the SEARCH mode; has
both UP and DOWN SEARCH keys; battery pack can be charged
separately from the scanner which can also operate from a
separate power supply; has a BEEP function; has the full
AIRCRAFT BAND of 108-136 MHz. That’s about all worthy of
mention on the PRO-35 except its hefty price tag of $230,
while the BC-100XLT is about $40 less.

The news on the coming PRO-37 is a little better since it
remains a PRO-34 with apparently all functions and specs
intact. The PRO-37 is much faster than the PRO-34 at 26
ch/sec, otherwise it’s the same radio. The increase of
speed is due to a faster CPU along with a faster Clock
Oscillator. The rest of the circuit should be about the
same, including cellular restoration potential, but we’ll
have to wait and see for sure on that one. Not sure yet.
Release of the PRO-37 should be in mid-September.

GOVERNMENT MEDDLES WITH RIGHT TO MONITOR THE AIRWAVES!

This is a little better than hearsay, but no confirmation

yet that a House Subcommittee is preparing a bill to

direct the FCC to forbid importation or manufacture of
any radio with capability to receive the cellular bands.
This bill will also forbid convenient & easy restoration
capability in the scanner. This could apply to the likes
of the PRO-2004/5/6/2022/34 and BC-200/760/950/800XLT in
which the deliberately blocked CMT bands are readily
restorable. The bill appears to be at the behest of the
Cellular Mobile Telephone Industry and there is rumored
to be a clause in the bill which would keep the ban in
effect until if and w hen the Cellular Industry no longer
objects to CMT-capable scanners & radios'. John Dingell’s
name has been associated with the committee that’s
preparing this bit of invasive legislation. You may want
to investigate because if government is allowed to
legislate this sort of horse-manure, then there’s no way
to stop it from dictating what else we can and can’t have
in the way of receiving equipment. Time was when only
transmitters & transmissions were regulated. Tradition
long had it that the Right of the People to detect and
receive the air waves was not to be infringed. Tradition

S4.ll

was weakened with the ECPA of 1986 and now look what’s
coming down! Iron-Curtain Europe, Asia & other oppressed
peoples have long been proscribed from possessing certain
kinds of receivers. Maybe NOW is the time to plan your
monitoring post for the years to come! Today’s equipment
might eclipse that of tomorrow’s in utility and value!

Figure there’s a couple of million of us scannists in a
nation of 250-million, so as this legislation progresses
through channels, there will be 248-million people who
don’t care one way or another; and 1,750,000 of the rest
of us won’t have heard about what’s going on until it’s
too late. The quarter of a million of us left will be
quite impotent to do anything about it. Look at it this
way: s’pose you heard that knitting needles and anchovies
were going to be banned. Would you care or be overly
concerned? Probably not. That’s the way most of America
will be as the Right to Receive is ground into mincemeat.
Oh, I forgot — there never was any such right in the

first place If you want to know where I stand on

this and related matters, here ’tis:

They can have my guns, my radios and my computer keyboard
only after they pry ’em loose from my cold, dead fingers
but they can have my pork chop & corn bread from
yesterday’s dinner absolutely for free /be

NEW SUBSCRIBERS NEEDED!

We need new subscribers and I have exhausted all known
avenues of publicity and advertising. I’m open to new
ideas and suggestions for how the circulation of the
‘UORLD SCANNER REPORT' can be increased. Your input will
be welcomed. There is something you can do, anyway:
please tell your friends, associates and fellow hobbyists
about us! I’ve long leaned on the values of good will
and word of mouth. If you like the ‘USR‘ , tell others.
The rest will take care of itself. We’re doing pretty
good on growth as it is, but this next year is critical
as to offering any guarantees of survival for the coming
years. We need to do very well over the next twelve
months to carve out a niche. The modifications and
technology to be developed and the material to write up
is there; now where are the Readers and the Hackers?

RADIO SHACK'S 1992 CATALOG OUT!

NEW AMPLIFIED SPEAKER & OTHER GODDIES!

Check out the new 1992 Radio Shack Catalog which just hit
the stores! Lots of new goodies including an excellent
amplified speaker, #21-541, on page 67. What a novel
product, except that it is almost a carbon copy of
Project #2 in Vol-2 of my SCANNER MODIFICATION HANDBOOK
on pages 71-73! Gosh, I’m not so conceited as to think

great big Radio Shack copied the design from little ol’
me, but sure as tootin’, it’s a monstrous coincidence!
No matter whether the sorry rascals copied my design or
not, that new amplified speaker is a heck of a good deal
for handheld scanners and other audio environments where
the volume just isn’t up to snuff. The price is a decent
$23.95. The basic unamplified speaker, tt21-549, costs
$13.95 and about $10 more is needed to make your own from
my Project #2 anyway, and which might not end up as good,
so put #21-541 on your budget if you need general purpose
audio amplification.

The new PRO-37 handheld scanner appears to be a clone of
the PRO-34, and while I haven’t examined the schematics
yet, I’ll venture the educated guess that the primary
difference between it and the PRO-34 is a faster CPU and
Clock Resonator. This was, as you will recall, the main
difference between the PRO-2006 and the earlier PRO-2005.
So in essence, owners of the PRO-34 need only change CX-1
to something around 7 MHz to achieve near parity with the
new PRO-37. An inherent problem of this method is that
the DELAY function will decrease by the same proportion
as the speed increase, so to achieve full parity, you’ll
need to replace the PRO-34 ’s CPU with one for the PRO-37
as well as the Clock Resonator. I have proven this to be
a viable upgrade for the PRO-2005 and it’s probable that
it will work for the PRO-34 as well. By next issue, I
will have reviewed the schematics and will give you a
full report at that time.

A couple of new base scanners are in the 1992 catalog,
the PRO-59 and the PRO-58, but these are low-end entry
level models not worthy of further mention here. In
addition to the new PRO-37 and PRO-35, there are other
new handhelds, the PRO-42 and PRO-41. Neither of these
merit close attention, though if someone were to give you
a PRO-42, it might make for a useful third-string backup
to your backup handheld scanner. Nothing more. Bottom
line is that only three scanner from Radio Shack are
serious enough to capture your interest: PRO-2006;
PRO-2022 and the PRO-37. PRO-34 ’s are on clearance sale.

The new DX-390 Shortwave Portable Receiver heads page 51
just above the proven DX-440. The DX-390 doesn’t appear
to have all that much more than the DX-440, but with a 45
channel programmable memory, it costs $40 more than the
DX-440. Might be worth a look at $239.95. Looks like
the DX-440, same as the Sangean TS-803A, is here to stay
for another year at $199.95.

LAST CALL - - UORDS TO THE UISE: Discontinued for 1992
are Radio Shack’s double-shielded 25-conductor and
9-conductor computer LAN cables, #278-776 & 278-775. Pity
because these cables contain the finest hookup wires you
ever used in all your natural-born days. The brighter
side is that they’re on sale at over 50% off, so stock
up! Radio Shack’s regular spooled hookup wire isn’t
worth the powder to blow it to Kingdom Come. The
insulation drips off like candle wax when the wire is
soldered and it’s not as flexible and workable as the
wires salvaged from the above computer cables. This

computer wire is ESSENTIAL for long term reliability and

success with my Memory Modifications including the one
that’s introduced in the next column!

FEATURE PRESENTATION
25,600 PROGRAMMABLE CHANNELS FOR THE PRO-2004/5/6
12,800 PROGRAMMABLE CHANNELS FOR THE PRO-2022/2021/34/32
6.400 CHANNELS FOR THE BC-760/95O/59Q/600 & R-160Q

My exhilaration over the 6,400-Channel Extended Memory
Modification (MOD-16 in Vol-1 of the SCANNER MODIFICATION
HANDBOOK) had hardly subsided before I got to wondering
if even more were possible. Right away I learned that
two or more static RAM chips can be stacked with the CE
(Chip Enable) pins on a switch. (See last month’s
'Modest Memory Upgrade' article.) That approach to
doubling the 6,400-Channel Mod didn’t turn me on because
extra switching and space were required, not to mention
almost double the work and cost to double the channels.
And, shucks, if 6,400 channels weren’t enough, then that
would be like saying that a Rolls Royce isn’t good
enough. So I didn’t get serious over that idea. But
later I discovered that the 6,400-Channel Mod wasn’t good
enough in another area; the number of Blocks!

Aw sure, if you’re used to one Block of 400 channels in a
stock PRO-2004/5/6 and suddenly find yourself basking in
the sheer luxury of 16-Blocks of 400-channels each, you
might reasonably figure THAT will be good enough for a
long time. Add it up: suppose you allocate the Home

Block 00 and Block 01 for general operations. Then
allocate another couple of Blocks for the Fed Gov’t; one
each for Local Gov’t; Fire, Medical; Aero; Military Aero;
Other Military; Transportation; Marine; Ham; CB/Freeband;
Cordless & IMTS Phones; Broadcast & Media; Sports; Space;
special events; a couple of Blocks for misc & scratch pad
operations; and 2 or 3 Blocks for SEARCH & STORE ops, and

...oops we’ve used up all sixteen Blocks even though

we’re not close to filling all 6,400 channels! Even the
Mighty 6,400-Channel Mod can stunt your growth if you are
sedate about maximum utilization and organization of the
scanning & monitoring process. This scenario is a bit
worse for the PRO-2022/2021/32/34 where you still get 16
Blocks but only 200-channels per Block; and worse still
for the BC-590/600/760/950 & R-1600 where you still get
sixteen Blocks but only 100-channels per Block. So I had
to get serious about memory expansion again because I had
run out of Blocks and organization space.

The 6,400-Channel Extended Memory (3,200 Channels for
200-ch scanners and 1,600 Channels for 100-ch scanners)
calls for a 32k x 8 (256k) static RAM chip to replace the
scanner’s stock 2k x 8 (16k) SRAM. You can thus see how
the mod multiplies the stock capacity by 16. The stock
SRAM chip has 11 binary address lines (A0 - A10) which
means the number of addresses is 2 11 or 2,048 (2k), and
each address hold an 8-bit "word" or code, so 2,048 x 8
bits = 16,384 bits (16k). The 256k memory expansion chip
for MODs-16/19/37 has 15 address lines (A0 - A14) for 2 15
or 32,768 x 8 = 262,144 bits. The only “glitch" about

this mod is actually one of its strong points in that the
CPU addresses only 2 11 registers, so by adding 4
switches, either DIP as in MOO-16/19/37 or electronic as
in MOD-28, we have 2 4 (16) manual combos that can be
addressed by the CPU; hence the 16 Blocks of 400, 200 or
100 channels, depending on your scanner.

Heck, 6,400 channels was plenty and would have stayed
plenty if I could have figured out how to get more Blocks
and Banks with fewer channels in each. Unfortunately THAT
aspect is governed by the CPU, the mysteries of which are
still elusive and unbreakable. It wasn’t a greater number
of channels that I needed; rather, more Banks & Blocks
with a minimum of extra complexity, cost, effort & space.
Well, I found it in spades with a bonus of up to 25,600
channels for the PRO-2004/5/6; 12,800 channels for the
PRO-2021/2022/32/34 and a “measly" 6,400 channels for the
BC-590/600/760/950XLT and the Regency R-1600! But again
now, the emphasis isn’t on the number of channels if you
have two or three thousand. Instead, it’s the number of
Banks & Blocks that’s most important. By now, you’ve
probably figured out that my 25,600-Channel Mod offers 64
(sixty-four) Blocks! (2 6 ) In effect, this is like having
64 scanners lined up side by side, with the only
limitation being that one at a time can be used. Big
deal. Well, 64 Blocks of 400, 200, or 100 channels is a
BIG DEAL, and it is no more difficult to add to your
scanner than any of my MODS-16/19/37 . Here is what you
face if you’re interested so far:

Starting from scratch, the work is about equal to that of
MODs 16/19/37. Cost will be slightly more since the new
1-Meg SRAM chip costs about $35-$50, depending on where
you get it. Parts count increases only slightly to
negligible, depending on the switching method selected,
either the manual DIP switch or MOD-28, Keyboard Memory
Block Controller (KMBC). Here are the differences of
this mod from MODs-16/19/37 in my books:

1. The new 1-Meg SRAM chip & Extended Memory Board (EMB)
that you build will have 32-pins instead of 28, but
the same number of wires (24) still go to the scanner
and only two more address wires are needed, (6 total)
either for the manual DIP Switch or the KMBC. Pin 1
of the 1-Meg SRAM is not connected to anything, and
Pin 30 has only a 10-k resistor (R-7) to Pin 32, so
this accounts for the extra pins.

2. The pinout of the 1-Meg SRAM chip differs from that of
the 256-k SRAM, so the exact wiring of the EMB to the
scanner’s Logic/CPU Board will differ from that given
for MODs-16/19/37. See Figure 1 in this issue.

3. DIP Switch Method: 6-pos DIP Switch and two more

resistors needed. (R-5 & R-6)

4. KMBC Method: Two more resistors (R-9 & R-10) & LEDs
(16 & 32) needed & minor wiring changes of the KMBC
circuit necessary. See Fig-2 in this issue.

And that’s it, folks; If you have not done an Extended

Memory modification yet and are faced with the choice of
MODs-16/19/37 or this new version, you may as well select
this one unless the slight extra cost is a factor.

UHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT

First, gather what you need. You should have both Vols 1
& 2 of my SCANNER MODIFICATION HANDBOOKS because lots of
good tips for assembly and installation are included
there for which space is not available here. Don’t
forget the Service Manual for your scanner! Next, you’ll
need a 1-Meg SRAM chip organized as 131k x 8, though it
might be called a 128k x 8, of which there are several
mfgrs & part no’s:

NEC

Sony

Hitachi

Motorola

SGS-Thompson

UPD431000A-10L

CXK581000P-10L

HM628128LP-10

MCM6226

MK48128-55

or -12L or -15L
or -12L or -15L
or -12 or -15

or -70 or -85

There are probably many sources for the 1-Meg SRAM chip,
but my favorite, DIGI-KEY, doesn’t seem to carry them yet
so call EASY TECH at (800) 582-4044 and order their part
number, 618128LP10, at $32.95. EASY TECH is an up and
coming supplier, similar to DIGI-KEY so get their catalog
and compare prices on other items, too.

Everything else you’ll need is common and is listed in my
books or in Figs 1 & 2 in this issue. Build the EMB as
generally described in Vol-1 of the SMH and with specific
variations as shown in Figs-1, 3 & 4 herein. Select your
Block Switching scheme and if DIP or toggle switches are
desired, follow the switch diagram in Fig-1. If you want
to go for the neater, factory-like KMBC, MOD-28, see
Vol-2 of my book and Figs 2,5 & 6 herein. The only
difference in the KMBC here from that in Vol-2 of my book
is that the grounds are removed from U-3, Pins 11 & 13,
and wires are connected between U-3, Pins 11 & 13 to U-2,
Pins 13 & 14. R-9 & R-10 are connected to U-3, Pins 10 &
12 to drive the two new LEDs. Figs 2 J 5 make this clear.

KMBC Discussion

The Keyboard Memory Block Controller is a neat method of
Block selection which requires no switches! You only
press two keys on the Keyboard (CLEAR & PRGM) at the same
time to activate the Block. Sequencer. Other scanner
functions remain undisturbed! Four LEDs are used with
MOD-16 to indicate which of the 16 Blocks is selected.
The KMBC is upgraded here for six LEDs to indicate which
of the 64 Blocks is selected. Contrary to Vol-2 where I
suggested that the KMBC & EMB can be built on one board,
well I suppose they can, but I don’t recommend it now. I
have had nothing but success with two separate boards,
and if it ain’t broke, let’s don’t fix it. Besides, two
small boards install a heck of a lot easier than one
larger board. As suggested in my books, the EMB and KM8C
should be installed in the PRO-2004, side by side, on the
bottom of the chassis, between the power transformer and
the front panel in the bare chassis space there. For the

PRO-2005 & 2006, the best and ONLY place to install the
boards is vertically on the chrome-metal shield of the
Logic/CPU Board in the front panel. See page 89 in Vol-2
of my book and the discussion there for how to do it,
except since writing the book, I prefer to reverse the
KMBC and EMB from the positions shown and move both
closer to where the stock memory chip was removed. Both
the EMB and the KMBC must not standoff from the chrome
metal shield more than about Vs" , and Vis" is even
better. This is to keep the boards from touching the
main receiver board when the front panel is swung back
into position. I think Figs-2, 5 & 6 will make
construction and assembly of the KMBC rather
straight-forward and easy enough. When looking at Figs 5
& 6, please understand that I built that board expressly
for this article so that it could be xeroxed with maximum
clarity. You might find a better way to do the layout
and wiring if you study the Figures closely. If you’re a
novice at this sort of thing, then copy my work. When
the KMBC is completed, be sure to first TEST IT using the
procedure given in Vol-2, pages 145-147.

Since this mod offers 64 Blocks of Memory, the speed of
the KMBC becomes an important factor. I designed the
KMBC (MOD-28) to plod along at about 2 Blocks per second
which takes about 8 seconds to go from Block 00 to Block
15. Not too bad. But at that rate about 32 sec will be
required to go from Block 00 to Block 63; ungood! So we
need to speed this baby up by a factor of 4 or so, and
even though 8 Blocks/sec seems too fast for convenience,
it really isn’t! You will get used to blazing speed
after a while and appreciate it. Here is how speed of
the KMBC can be changed: Instead of C-2 in Fig 2 being
the "normal" 2.2-uF (2 Blocks/sec), try 1.0-uF for about

5 Blocks/sec or better, 0.68-uF for about 7 Blocks/sec.
0.5-uF yields about 8 Blocks/sec. When you want to get
from a low numbered Block to a high one fast, just press

6 hold the CLEAR & PRGM keys until the count gets close;
then release the PRGM key while still holding the CLEAR
key, just tap the PRGM key to advance one Block at a time
until you hit the desired one. Easy!

DIP SWITCH or TOGGLE SWITCH Discussion

Little to say here. Figure 1 and MOD-16 in Vol-1 of my
book are quite self-explanatory. All switches are OFF
for the "Home Block” position. Resistors Rl-6 can be as
high as 100-k, if you like, though 56-k is specified.
The biggest problem with the DIP or Toggle Switching
methods is WHERE to install the switches. If you use DIP
Switches, for Pete’s Sake, install a DIP socket so that
the switch can be removed at times. A 14-pin DIP socket
can be trimmed to 12 pins for this purpose. The DIP
socket is best installed in the PRO-2005/6 on the front
panel vertically between the LCD Display and the MANUAL &
SCAN keys. You’ll have to remove the Logic/CPU board to
access the inside of the front panel, but so what? Vol-2
of my book explains in detail how to do this. If you opt
for toggle switches you’re more or less on your own here.
Micromini toggles can be installed in the horizontal
groove below the LCD Display on the 2005/6 but this area

is best reserved for my LED S-Meter and LED Center Tuning
Meter mods. If you don’t want these mods now, you might
later! Some hackers have installed toggle switches on
the top case, but this restricts easy removal for future
modifications & maintenance, so don’t do that.

In the PRO-2004, the DIP Switch socket can be mounted in
any of a dozen places on the front panel, so look around
and pick your poison. Nothing critical. Same for toggle
switches, though again, I don’t recommend them.

It’s been so long since I’ve been in a PRO-2022 and a
PRO-32 that I can’t remember the best places where to
install things, but the -2022 has loads of space in which
to work, so there should be few problems. The PRO-32 and
the PRO-34 will require a metal box to be installed on
the bottom end of the scanner, typical of the photos in
Vol-1 of my book for MOD-19. An ideal box is made by
LMB, Model ttM00. It measures 2V 4 “L x 1V 2 "W x l 3 /o"D
and is finished in black. The KMBC is not really suited
for handheld scanners yet, (too large?) so DIP Switching
is the best approach. The DIP socket can be made to fit
on the little metal box quite easily. Again, see the
photos under MOD-19 in Vol-1 of my book.

INSTALLATION FOR OTHER SCANNERS

I’ve never installed the 6,400-ch or 25 ,600-ch Extended
memory in the PRO-2021, BC-760/950/590/600 or Regency
R-1600, though I know this mod will work for them. In
any event, I can’t offer installation clues for that
reason. Some of our readers have done multi-thousand
Extended Memory Mods to the above scanners. If someone
will write up the results of their experiences, and if
interest warrants, I’ll be glad to allocate some space in
the ’WORLD SCANNER REPORT’ for these other scanners.

How To Determine the Block Numbers

Easy, if you know binary numbering. Still easy, if you
don’t. First, set up to the Home Block 00 with all DIP
Switches OFF or all LEDs OFF. Then program something
into Channel 1 that ends with XX00.000 to signify Block
00. In the PRO-2004/5/6, use 1000.000. For the PRO-2022
/34, use 800.000. For all others, use 400.000. Now
advance the KMBC so that the first LED comes on, or turn
on the DIP Switch that’s farthest to the right (#6). Now
select Channel 1 again but program in XX01.000 to signify
Block 01. Repeat this process using Table 4-16-4 on page
141 in Vol-1 of my book, except where it ends at Block
15, you just keep on going until you reach Block 63 which
for the PRO-2004/5/6, Channel 1 should be programmed with
1063.000 (or 863.000 or 463.000, etc).

Bear with me for a wrap up of the binary system: imagine
six DIP Switches or six LEDs in a horizontal row numbered
from left to right with 6 down to 1. The farthest right
(#1) has a decimal value of 1 if ON and 0 if OFF. All
have a value of 0 if they’re OFF, but if they are ON,
then decimal value are: #2 = 2; #3 = 4; #4 = 8; #5 = 16
and #6 = 32. Add up the values of each ON switch or LED

co determine which Block is selected. For example, if
no’s 6,5,2 & 1 are ON, the value is 32+16+0+0+2+1 = 51.
This is another way to know which Block you’re in without
referring to the preprogrammed Channel 1 identifier code.

SUMMARY OF WHAT TO DO

1. Using a 32-Pin DIP socket, build the Extended Memory
Board in accordance with Figure 1, with resistors Rl-6
if DIP Switching is desired, or without Rl-6 if the
KMBC is to be used; R-7 is required for either; don’t
forget C-l. Wires on EMB should be 8" long to start
with; trimmed to size later. Use perf board; PCB not
worth it; but stick to the dimensions shown in Figs 3
& 4. Do not insert 1-Meg SRAM chip at this time.

2. Build the KMBC or the DIP Switch arrangement. Test
the KMBC before proceeding. See Vol-2 of my book.

3. Remove the scanner’s stock 2k x 8 SRAM chip, a 24-pin
flat pack, surface mount chip. Use care, plenty of
desoldering wick and low heat.

4. Mechanically install the EMB and either the KMBC with
LEDs; or DIP Switch arrangement.

5. Connect KMBC or DIP Switch wires A thru E to the EMB,
locations A thru E. (See Figs-1&2). Referring to the
Service Manual for your scanner, connect KMBC power
wire to scanner +5 volts, but NOT CPU +5v. You don’t
want the KMBC drawing "memory power". Use the main
+5v regulator in the scanner, or add a 7805 or 78L05
of your own if in doubt or if the scanner doesn’t have
one. For the PRO- 2004/5/6 , proper +5v power is at the
output of IC-8. NOTE: the DIP Switch arrangement is
powered from Pin 32 of the SRAM chip, but don’t power
the KMBC from that point! That’s CPU +5v!

6. Solder the wires from the EMB according to Fig-1 to
the pin pads of where the stock SRAM chip was removed.
This is the same wiring arrangement for ALL SCANNERS,
so watch for errors; take it one step at a time, and
be sure of every connection before going to the next.

7. Insert the SRAM chip into its socket and proceed with
checkout & preliminary setups given in Vols 1 & 2 of
my books. If all is well, you’re on your own into a
new dimension of scanning.

If all is not well, I will be delighted to assist you
with troubleshooting and diagnosis of the problem, either
by mail if you include a SASE and one loose extra stamp
with a detailed request, or on-line via several Computer
BBS services including GEnie’s Radio Roundtable; the
Shortwave/Scanner Echo of the FidoNet, the CIA BBS, (619)
273-6339, or the Interface BBS, (619) 297-7733.

If you are not happy with the referrals to Vols 1 & 2 of
my books, please understand that I’m referring to nearly
60-pgs of detail that cannot possibly be reprinted in the
space available here. If I were to do that, complete
with all the photos, drawings and Tables, we’d need the

next six or seven issues in which to do it all and

THAT, dear readers, would not be fair to YOU nor to those
who aren’t interested in this mod. Besides, 98% of YOU
already have my books, so my referring to them is the
correct thing to do for the benefit of almost everyone.

FIGURE 3: COMPONENT SIDE OF THE EMB (tfoD-l&A)

FIGURE 5: COMPOKEKT SIDE OF THE KMBC (mo 0 -ZSA)

F i gure

MODs 16A, 19A,26A& 374
GENERAL WIRING DIAGRAM FOR UP TO
25.600 CHANNEL EXTENDED MEMORY MODIFICATIONS

/lore-. 'To mMMZc. msms

TO TH£ UACAaST Pl*J Prt>$ U)HB.

TO UACAaJT P/H) PAPS UHE/ic

Th£ *nei*o#y xc f&nou&>

fto#} -me sc-Mfcfe*.

NEC uPD431000A-10L

131k x 8 SRAM

o 1 N/C

CPU +5 Vcc 32

To Memory IC-pl <

To Memory IC~p2 <

To Memory IC-p3 <

To Memory IC~p4 <

To Memory IC-p5 <

To Memory IC-p6 <

To Memory IC~p7 <

To Memory IC~p8 <

To Memory IC-p9 <

To Memory IC~pl0 <

To Memory IC-pl 1 <

To CPU PCB i

Ground yd

From C-l above >■■ ■

C-l 2.2-uF Tantalum

hh> To Pin 16
Below

> To Memory IC-p24 , .

< From Rl-6 below ( > OPT/0MJ

6VtTCH
3t r— j,

/* *

z &

-> To Memory IC-p23
-> To Memory IC~p22

-> To Memory lC-p20
-> To Memory IC-pl 9
-> To Memory lC-pl8
-> To Memory IC-pl7
-> To Memory IC-pl6
-> To Memory IC-pl 5
-> To Memory IC-pl4
-> To Memory IC-pl3

4MaJUAL_ SiOlTCM/A/G- Me Trtop
'pD HOT 0S£ IP lfiOX)~L^CKf^C^Js~SlL£cfeiS.

. ToP/A/32
— > fiAoue

R-l -/?-b

Sb-K-ft-

W~ UJATT

(W-Kto/CO-K\

l A*£ CK J

ABC DP 6

CPT/M/AL.

SHOD -Z* A

&LOCK ceMTtcue/i.
Cset Fi&oP.&'t-).

Figure 2

vmOARV MEMORY BLOCK CONTROLLER (M0D~28 AJ — FOR. 64-BLOCK S

L£DS / +5V

ISSSSSS!

sv 30 i& ^ ** & f 2, ^ ft n

/ht>Di / 0,19, ZB r 3J
£*T£AJt>Ei> fOSMOAf CH-if 3

/HJT> ilOAA E> Osi/JG-
/ 3 /yt x 8 {)/»&<£) SRAro

F/&UXE i)

I l 3 9 £ b t e 9 /o // n >i rt mo

usee OXAWt/Je. FOX TH/S FBHXt>

(3)sSc/u/a/&z xjejnog/IX. P/M
7 -q ie c£>uvaof£Z>

PFTS L/

C-I : O-Sit ro /-o^F (More /)

c-z: z.Z'/F r**r

C- 3 : ZZA/t rMT
**/'■ S-IK
A-Z : S.IK
A -3! /OK
A-9-

/.IK

**9*»tj*TC

CSC*-, r-l s/\e , Cffo/ta OF

Coco*.

(/-/ : 79 ML OO QXJAO a/Aa/O

y-2! V< 5 fc 0 Coo/UA
U-i- 79M0O9 /WEAfZR
At.o. PvtMfrnro/J

U-3

/«>

VieW op all.
d-hifis is PA o*)
rue Top

. w .«►■

I /S

3 /*>

Ho(pO
•4 . J3

r u-2

5 /2

rrljgsl

G^QQAiO

6*ooaid

Notes

'All

S*)AU£A
Z-OAfP

(2) Assets Aaock sej.ec.ro a ro

^ notes fiucx'otr****-

ro/eu/UF OFF SCAAJ/Je*.

(9\ 6/A//WV CowA/r 0#r

® fSTVi 5 W. /w ***

L ) T - 32+/&*8W*Z*Y * ®*

0 ROOM'D V£^JSU TmT^^ \

e/GH

5 y j z

u-i

7 V/VC 00

y /o // /i /3

* opt/mal Asset

Stone, H -M>T

Cssettn* >(- t tsoT
USSrOL (use A
a t.o. Posh h urrs/J )

PRc^flM vp;„/oX^

Pin IZ

. Sw/ifCtfet>
^•^5vX>c ( Xc-8 IN

PRO-ZOOH/S /6 •
^Dov'r use c/’z; *5V

HGRf-

scA/Jhle%

6*0M)>

bsossd p°* °" a ^ ,va '

aur 9/o oe. n ca*/ bo oseo fok ths

J y/0 L/A/£* ( ID l«$ DcST J

FIGURE 5: SOLDgg SIDE OF THE KHBC

A NEW CARRIER-ON INDICATOR

To LED 32
fo LED /6
4 A/oPES
TO L£t> g
Tb Leo V
n> Leo z
ToteP /

GRevuP
TO U-3
P/H 7

+ 0 5 -3 P'*> 'V

Bob Scott of Virginia contributes a novel approach to a
Carrier On Indicator. Refer to my MOD-32, page 182-187
for the standard approach. Bob’s method appears to be
more effective and simpler than mine. Other than using a
chip instead of a transistor, the novel difference is a
bi-color LED which glows GREEN when no signal comes in
and RED when the SQUELCH breaks. The shortcoming of this
method is the lack of a reliable source of bicolor LEDs,
but maybe you readers know of a place. Connect the INPUT
of the CD-4049 chip to Pin 13 of IC-2 in the PRO-2004/5/6
or to the SQUELCH OUTPUT PIN of the NFM chip in most any
other scanner. (See V1N4 for a guide to the various NFM
chips and their pinouts for most scanners.) (

„ /feite/KE T»e PoLAtWy 6 p - born L&Pi
* I FD&blteD COLO flS WHTUre AT

IFDesiteD
THe Rt&vr T/Afes •

U-3 PM /

SCASHER MODIFICATION HANDBOOK CORNER

MOD-30 EVENT COUNTER: Vol-2, Page 169, Step 5= Change
"directly to IC-3, Pin 1" to "directly to IC-3, Pin 3" .
Sorry, dunno how that happened. Dumb.

A COMMERCIAL PRESS RELEASE

Announcing Doyle Communications Fall/Uinter 1991 catalog
of scanner and shortwave frequency directories, ham radio
books, electronics how-to books; scanner antennas, 900MHz
converters, amplifiers, and adapters. The latest catalog
lists almost 100 books including Scanner and Ham Radio/C8
Modification handbooks, Uniden freq directories, Federal
and Military frequency directories, TV, VCR, & CD player
repair books plus many more. Satisfaction guaranteed; if
not satisfied, undamaged items can be returned within 10
days for a full refund, less S & H. Personal checks up
to $50.00; VISA, MC and COD orders (USA only) ok. $1

catalog, refundable with order. Doyle Communications,
Route S; Box 19, Lake Pleasant, NY 12108. Please mention
this magazine when ordering your catalog. Orders, call
(519 ) 549-5515 10am - 8:30 pm FT; closed NED & SUN.

COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENT

If you don’t have the time or capability to install mods
in your scanner, we can do them for you in a timely, cost
effective, professional manner. SPECIAL thru 9/30/91:
We will install the new M0D-16A 25,600-Channel Extended
Memory with Keyboard Memory Block Controller in your
PRO-2004/5/6 at the regular price for the 6,400 channel
MOD-16 ($275 f $12 S&H). Effective 10/1/91 this price
will be $325 +S&H. Also on SPECIAL thru 9/30/91: the

12,800-Ch M0D-19A for your PRO-34 at the regular price
for the 3,200-Ch MOD-19 ($225 * $8 S&H). Effective
10/1/91, the price will be $265 + S&H. COMMTRONICS

ENGINEERING; PO Box 262478; S an Diego, CA 92196-2478.

Kc IS K 13 1Z II ID <1

CD -NOW 0-4
y*> c-iNOfR uO 04
eccr/ NTS- HOHR

5au£uctf

LO<WC

lAjpoV

XC-Z f PlAll3
P£o-zcxH/*lt>
( )

Er a i tt£&
OfG-32.,

060 TL
WWIA—

r>-l = 8 1 colo /4 L£'D,Fwo />MI
(SSpMere 6eis
US£<> ; UJ (JtGD AS S

TURN ANY TAPE RECORDER
INTO A SUPER SNOOP LISTENING DEVICE!

This preamp will enable most any tape recorder to detect
the sneeze of a housefly at 50-ft; maybe further if no
other sounds are present to mask it! There are many ways
to house this simple microphone and one-transistor preamp
and I’ll leave precisely how to your imagination. Private
investigators might want to miniaturize while tinkerers
can fit it into a shoe box. The housing is your choice;
but build the circuit as shown using precision metal film
resistors and tantalum capacitors for extremely low noise
and leakage. The trimmer potentiometer is to control the
Gain of the preamp for optimum recordings. The models I
have made will pick up a whisper from across a wide room!

, s*r +it ieo P L e . r OUTPUT

elect R eT
MIKE
EUU*£AJT

■fSsii 270-090

P/I) Fz PR SO WO fJ METAL EluA

FROM THE READERS

TIPS. HINTS. KINKS & MISCELLANY

Alan Parlato, NY, tells of an interesting phenomena in
his PRO-2006, which I verified also in the PRO-2004/5!

PRO-2004/5/6 DELAY & PRIORITY INTERACTION

When the PRIORITY feature is off, the normal two-second
DELAY functions on all channels where it is set. There
seems to be about a half-second DELAY otherwise.

When the PRIORITY feature is on, there is an interaction
that seems to shorten or eliminate the DELAY on all
channels where the DELAY is set. At first I thought it
might have something to do with the squelch setting, but
then I noticed it only happens when the PRIORITY is on.
When the PRIORITY is off, and in SEARCH mode, the DELAY
works fine (regardless of squelch setting). When the
radio is on an active channel and the PRIORITY channel is
sampled, the squelch closes for a split-second (no
signal). Now, if there is still a signal on the original
channel, everything is fine, but, if the signal is gone,
or if the DELAY timer was counting down when the sample
occurred, the unit instantly starts to SCAN after the
PRIORITY sample. The reason I think is because the DELAY
timer was reset due to the PRIORITY sample. Of course,
when the radio returns to the original channel, there is
no signal to restart the DELAY timer, so the SCAN begins.
The result is, if the PRIORITY sample occurs one-half
second into the DELAY countdown, the rest of the DELAY is
“cancelled". I’d appreciate your thoughts! /AP

EDITOR ’S REPLY ■ This oddity is not documented by Tandy
so the best we can do is guess at it, but yours appears
to be an “educated guesstimate" . Obviously, it’s a CPU
function so there’s little we can do about it. My
EXTENDED DELAY (MOD-29) minimizes its effects, houever.
Many thanks for your w ell described finding that has not
been reported elsewhere of which I am aware! /BC

INDOOR ANTENNAS: One of our readers, and I forgot WHO,
(sorry), passes along a tip for an indoor antenna that’s
superior to the telescoping whip or rubber duckie that
comes with the scanner. "What’s His Name" says he gets
good results from the amplified Color Supreme V Indoor TV
antenna from Radio Shack, #15-830. Sounds like an
alternative for apartment dwellers and others whose
landlords won’t permit exterior antennas! If this works,
then there might be even better alternatives for some
situations. Radio Shack’s Compact Amplified Antenna,
#15-1611, if mounted vertically, might be a hot dawg.
Also to consider for cramped quarters: #15-1607.

POOR SENSITIVITY IN THE PRQ-2004/5/6? I have seen this
complaint a few times in various reviews around the rag
mill. But I wonder. After learning the PRO-2004/5/6
inside & out I really haven’t found sensitivity
problemsin any that weren’t the fault of a failed
component. But something under operator control can ruin
sensitivity AND restore it. I am almost embarrassed to
say this because I am guilty of it, too, but check the
position of the ATTENUATOR switch on the rear panel of
your PRO-2004 /5/6 periodically'! For the most part, it
should reside in the "0 dB” position. Sometimes, there
might be a need to set it to the ”-10 dB" position and
when you do you’re likely to forget all about it and
wonder a week later why you can’t hear weaker signals
like you used to. I have trained myself to routinely
reach over the back of the set and make sure the ATT
switch is flipped to the RIGHT (0-dB). Quite often, I
find it to the LEFT (-10 dB) because I do a lot of WFM
monitoring where the ATT switch is often required. Read
on

NO AGC IN THE WFM MODE FOR THE PRQ-2004/5/6: Sure
enough, the PRO-2004/5/6 is one of the few series of
scanners to provide Automatic Gain Control to its Front

CONFIDENTIAL SUBSCRIPTION ORDER: Please print clearly

V1N8

08/17/91

SUBSCRIPTION RATES l ORDER BLANK

V1N8

NAME:

STREET:

CITY: STATE: ZIP:

PHONE :( ) AMT ENCLOSED: $

THE BELOU QUESTIONS M OPTIONAL BUT UILL HELP US HELP YOU /

Radio Interests? (Put YEARS OF EXPERIENCE in each block that applies)
VHF-UHF Amateur CB Shortwave Professional

Scanning? Radio? Radio? Listening? Radio?

Career/Profession

Or Occupation:

List makes 4 models of your scanners 4 other radio equipment:

USA RATES: (Canada +10t; Other Foreign +20*-surf or +40%-Air)
BACK ISSUES OF THE HSR Check Items

1991 Single copies; your choice: 1 ea $ 4.00

1991 (1st 6-mos, Jan-June) 5 ea $15.00

CURRENT SUBSCRIPTIONS, with and without Back Issues (BI)

1991 (2nd 6-mos; Jul-Dec, w/o BI) 5 ea $15.00

1991 (1-yr; Jan-Dec, w/BI) 10 ea $25.00

1991-92 (1-yr; Jul-Jun, w/o BI) 10 ea $25.00

1991-92 (1.5-yr, Jan-Jun w/BI) 15 ea $35.00

1991-93 (2-yr Jul-Jun, w/o BI) 20 ea $45.00

1991-93 (2.5-yr, Jan-Jun w/BI) 25 ea $52.50

OTHER LITERATURE AVAILABLE

SCANNER MOD HND8K, Vol-1: $17.95 + $3.00 S4H *

SCANNER MOD HNDBK, Vol-2: $17.95 t $3.00 S4H *

XCanada $4 S4H; Other Foreign $5 S4H; add extra for Air Mail)
HOBBY RADIO BUYER’S DIRECTORY (600+ listings) $14.95 ppd

Describe your technical abilities 4 interests; use reverse as needed.

HAKE REHITT MCE PAYABLE IN US FUNDS TO: cmTRMCS ENGINEERING

Enclose a #10 S.A.S.E. and one loose extra stamp if you want
hobby info 4 personal reply! Business inquiries exempt.

End Preamplifier and IF stages. AGC remedies myriads of
problems including front end overload; desensitization,
and intermod. For reasons not clear, the AGC function is
active ONLY in the AM and NFM modes; and not in WFH 1 You
can see evidence of this by tuning the FM Broadcast Band,
88-108 MHz, where to get the stronger stations to break
SQUELCH, the ATT switch must be set to "-10 dB". This
overcomes "desense" effects. At other times, the FM
signal might break the SQUELCH but sound very distorted
and garbled until the ATT switch is flipped to *-10 dB".
This is "front end overload". No wonder, since FM BC
stations routinely transmit 100,000 watts ERP and more!
The strongest NFM public service stations are typically
300 watts or less.

PROVIDING MORE ROOM IN THE PRQ-2004/5/6 & OTHER SCANNERS?

If you’re willing to power your PRO-2004/5/6 or certain
other base scanners from an external source of DC instead
of AC, there is a super way to get more "real estate" in
which to install modifications and goodies! First, let’s
look at alternate power sources. Most scanners have a
special jack on the rear for 12 VDC power. If so, then
Radio Shack has a good selection of AC-DC Adaptors which
will do nicely: 273-1652; 273-1653; 22-127 and 22-120.
Whatever you select, make sure the AC adaptor or power
supply is rated for at least 10 volts DC and not more
than 16 volts DC. The current rating should be at least
500-ma (0.5-amp). A major benefit of running your scanner
with external DC will be a 9<d% reduction of heat within
the scanner by the power transformer. (See V1N5 for a
full article on this!) Now you guessed it! Remove the
power transformer for a nice gain of "real estate".
While you’re at it, remove the A/C power cord; use it for
something else. The power cord hole can be used for a
jack or a cable bundle. Except for the bulk of an AC-DC
Adaptor, there are no ill effects or drawbacks of running
your scanner on external DC power. Advantages are MUCH
LESS HEAT; less weight and LOTS MORE ROOM for
modifications and things!

PRO-2004 PROBLEMS? Reports have surfaced on weak audio
or peculiar Logic/Display problems in the PRO-2004. I've
worked on some and helped others diagnose and cure these
problems. Seems that a run of PRO-2004 's were not
properly soldered in the production lines. Trouble began
right after sale. The factory warranty helped many where
problems surfaced right away. In other cases, solder
joints held up for a time before failing. Even today,
several years after the PRO-2004 production lines closed,
failures due to defective solder joints still crop up.
One mode of failure is in the audio section where the
sound fades in and out. A probable remedy is to resolder
the plated-thru solder spot that's immediately behind
CN-3, the internal speaker connector on the main receiver
board. Apply heat & flow solder into this spot. Voila!

Some defects are in the digital section where the Display
blanks out; memory is lost or the CPU locks up without
apparent cause. This cure is more difficult, but fairly
certain. Lift the Logic/CPU Board (PC-3) from the chassis
and flip it over. Anywhere from one to 500 solder joints
must be resoldered. First, resolder only those that look
bad. This may or may not get the bad one. If not, mark
the surface of the board in 1-inch squares and resolder
all joints in one square. Test the unit. Proceed to the
next square if not remedied by the first; etc, etc.

Only some PRO-2004 ' s are susceptible to solder joint
problems, (not all), and you might be able to tell about
yours. Remove the cover and look around on the main
receiver board, noting the greenish-white capacitors
scattered about. If bare leads of these capacitors are
exposed, look out! Note if any are cockeyed and not
squarely installed. Also observe the vicinity of where
the metal boxes & shields are soldered to the main board.
Look for the presence of solder resin, a brownish, dirty
residue. Properly soldered units will not show this
gunk. If you note either situation, there's a chance
that your unit can develop problems someday, if not
already. Mostly patience is needed for the cure! 73/bc

COMMTRONICS ENGINEERING
"THE WORLD SCANNER REPORT
PO BOX 262478
SAN DIEGO, CA 92196-2478

IN THIS ISSUE: FIRST CLASS MAIL

For your PRO-2004/5/6......

+ 25,600 Programmable Channels
+ 64 Blocks of 400-Channels each
+ 640 Scan Banks
+ 640 Search Banks
+ 640 Monitor Channels
+ 64 Priority Channels
Also, Super Snoop Listening Device
New Carrier-On-Indicator
Tips, Hints, Kinks, News

V 1N8
910817